Deadline For Health Insurance Sign Up Is Quickly Approaching

2015-02-14T01:02:07Z2015-02-14T04:00:26Z

By: Justin KreeNewsWest 9

MIDLAND- Sunday, February 15th is the deadline to pick a health insurance plan that fits you and your family. For those Americans who didn't sign up in 2014, you will be fined once you file your taxes this year.

"A lot of folks think that they will get a bill requiring them to pay. They won't see a bill. All of this will happen when they apply for their federal income taxes in April of every year," Community Relations Manager for Project Amistad, Roy Ortega said.

Roy Ortega is with Project Amistad, an agency looking to educate West Texas on the affordable health care law. He says if you don't sign up by Sunday, you might forget a fine will eventually come.

"The penalties will not be realized until they file their federal income taxes in 2016. That's when they will see $325 taken from their refund. That's the amount that the Federal Government will be taken from their income tax this year.

The Federal Government could tax 2% of your income if it's a higher amount than the $325. If you fail to sign up next year, the penalties could reach more than $600. Every year the fines are expected to go up.

Ortega says the age group they want to educate is young adults who don't think about health insurance.

"We are finding that people under the age of 30 tend to not pay attention to their health care needs. We try to get information out to young people that if they do not enroll they could be subject to that penalty," Ortega said.

Ortega says there are still about 250,000 residents who are uninsured in West Texas. From Midland to Marfa, From Alpine to El Paso.